Great Railway Journeys: The Magnificent Settle to Carlisle Experience

At a casual glance it may seem hard to find a link between the extreme North West of England with its Lakes, walls and sheep and the Yorkshire Dales on the other side of the Penines with its historic cathedrals, walls and er, sheep. Actually, there's a much better way to get bewteen the Lake District and York, the Settle-Carlisle railway.

Great Railway Journeys: The Magnificent Settle to Carlisle Experience

Traveling between two of England's most picturesque counties, Cumbria with its Lake District, and proud Yorkshire, home to kings and princes, may not be high on the commuter list or business agenda, but thousands of people make the journey every year for the sheer pleasure of riding along a masterpiece of Victorian can-do spirit, otherwise known as the Settle-Carlisle railway.

Travelling through some of the most beautiful and stark landscapes in Northern England -- especially if you're being pulled by one of the numerous steam specials -- the 72-mile line which threads its way through the North Pennines and Yorkshire Dales is a testament to our ancestors, especially given the technological limitations they faced.

In fact, the line is the result of political and commercial struggles between private railway owners in the 1860s, with bold and sometimes desperate attempts to carve a slice of the lucrative railway traffic between London and Scotland. It's almost certain that were such a project to be mooted today, it would be extremely unlikely to ever make it off the drawing board.

The line faced closure in the 1980s after rail bosses claimed it was too costly to keep open, especially the price of maintaining track buildings such as the impressive Ribblesdale Viaduct. But a massive public rescue effort and accusations of a dirty tricks campaign by line chiefs led to a withdrawl of the shut-down plans and a resurgence in use of the line, especially by tourists.

These days, whatever season you make your journey -- spring, summer, autumn, or winter -- you can count on this beautiful line to offer astounding views and fun destinations along the way. With regular scheduled passenger services each day (meaning no need to book advance tickets), a trip along the Settle-Carlisle offers a wonderful option for an affordable holiday full of history, heritage and wonder.

The railway boasts a number of interesting features, including  standardized stations built from local materials, days out from Hadrian's Wall in Carlisle,the nearby Lake District, Appleby in Westmorland, Kirkby Stephen in the Eden Valley, picturesque viaducts including Ribblehead, and Settle's market square - just to name a few options open to travelers.

Taking a few days to travel the line will offer not only the chance to see more than a few of these sights, but also to take in a Lake District hotel stay at the start of your journey and continue the theme with a visit to the National Railway museum in York.

Historic York's hotels, restaurants, shops and culture offer a perfect contrast to the speed and power and hard-edged engineering of the Settle-Carlisle.

While most railways in the UK are sterile affairs used for getting from  point A to point B, the Settle-Carlisle railway is one train line which retains its charm and gives us the ability to look into the past through the eyes of the engineers, travelers and locals who have used  it for so many years. From the Lake District to historic York, the adventurous traveler will find more than they can imagine by simply stopping at each station, getting off the train, and taking a good look around.

Offering a glimpse of history in modern times, the Settle to Carlisle railway experience makes a great holiday for anyone looking to explore  the Northern English countryside. 

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